Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with edible

Alcohol for the New

divabat — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:52 -0800

I've just started drinking alcohol this year. Help me find a cocktail/drink that doesn't taste like cough syrup. So far the only real alcoholic drink that I know I like is sparkling wine (bubbly), whether pink or white. I've had a version of a Long Island Ice Tea at Wagamama that was all right. I don't like alcopops; they taste too much like cough syrup. Whiskey and bourbon are much the same. I did plow through a box of sherry chocolates but I don't know how sherry tastes like on its own. I don't like beer, though Beez Kneez (honey beer) tastes OK.

I see my friends ordering all sorts of mixed drinks and I don't even know where to begin! I like chocolate, vanilla, Nutella, coffee-type flavours, and have been curious about liquer hot chocs/coffees. I'm not a big fan of fruity flavours, except if it's melon or banana (milkshake-ish) or lemonade. Flower flavours are good, and I really like ginger ale/ginger beer.

What would you recommend? Are there any drinks that don't taste overwhelmingly like cough syrup? I don't think I have a pretty high tolerance for alcohol (2 and a bit glasses of champagne and I'm already wobbly) so nothing crazy, but I'm up for experimenting.

How much should I charge for my fruit tree planting service?

Sentus — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:11:02 -0800

I am doing a lot of landscaping gigs lately, and want to start planting Edible Landscape for folks. How much should I charge for an edible tree package? Hello there fellow Mefi friends!

Fruit trees, Berries and Nut trees.

I will come to the customer, asses and test his soil for P.H and drainage, check the amount of sun the area is receiving, see that the area is large enough to provide space for future growth.

I am not going to push stuff that will not grow well in the area/problematic/high maintenance just to make a sell. Only trees that "want" to grow there, and will prosper without much maintenance, disease and pest problems.

Included:
* Healthy vigorous plants that have been checked for disease, been found free of "root bounding". Specific verities that adapted to the growing zone.
* Beautiful organic soil mixture tailored for new trees.
* Thick Layer (4"-6") of good mulch.
* An information pamphlet about the tree history, the specific variety, growing tips, watering schedules, pruning advice.

My questions will be:

1. What is the price range you would be willing to pay for something like that? How much for one tree? How much for a package of five shrubs/trees?
2. If the client have deer problem/huge dogs I can install a small durable fence. How much extra you think that worth to you?
3. What other services/extras I can offer that you think will make your decision more smooth?
4. Generally speaking, would you want a cheaper younger tree (2'-3' feet tall) or a more expensive and established tree (5'-8' feet tall)?
5. Any other suggestions and nuggets of wisdom?

Thank you and have a great day,

I will not eat green potatoes and ham.

Toekneesan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:27:29 -0800

Garden/Botony/KitchenFilter: If your potatoes turn green, can you safely turn them back to brown? Some of the potatoes we grew this year were left exposed to the sun in the kitchen. Subsequently the skin has gotten kind of green. More than just a few small spots. This makes them poisonous. I'm wondering if we can root cellar them to turn them back to brown, and would that affect the amount solanine in the potatoes? Can we eat these, eventually, or should they just be thrown away?

Why don't we eat the leaves off the trees?

escabeche — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:45:05 -0800

Why do we eat leaves from plants that grow on the ground, but not from trees? Help me give my three-year-old authoritative answers to his difficult questions. He wanted to know why we don't eat leaves off the trees. And I have no idea! Other animals eat tree leaves, and people eat all kinds of green leaves from lettuces, cabbages, herbs, etc. Are tree leaves non-nutritive for humans? Would they make us sick? Or do they just taste bad? Please help me be Dad Who Knows Everything.

Where can I get edible flowers in the Bay area (USA)?

CommonSense — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:43:12 -0800

Where can I get edible flowers in the Bay area (USA)? Hi there, MeFites. I'm getting married on Saturday (11/8), and I've got a "signature cocktail" on the menu that involves edible flowers. I was jumping a bit ahead of myself, though, because I don't actually know where to find said edible flowers. I live in Baltimore, and am marrying a Bay area native, and she's not been able to shed much light on this.

I found this thread asking the same question, but it applies to NYC. (I actually am up there now and again, but sadly, I've come across the thread too late.) But I see that Whole Foods is mentioned, and they're like . . . everywhere. Perhaps a West coast location will have them?

My fiancee mentioned the SF Flower Mart, but since she lives in the East Bay, and the wedding's in Oakland -- and we're tight on time as it is this week -- I'd really prefer to keep our travels to that side of the Bay, if at all possible. Still, if SF is our only bet, we can have a friend/family member who lives over there pick them up for us.

Many thanks in advance.

Not-quite-Canadian Rockies edible plants: what's the best reference?

a robot made out of meat — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:30:23 -0800

I'm going backpacking for a couple of weeks in the Beartooth mountains next summer. I'll be above the tree line most of the time. I'd like to have some local herbs and greens to make trail food more palatable. Is the flora described in Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies going to be the right stuff for this trip? Is there another pack-reference which will better describe this biome? Feel free to recommend whatever plant reference you've had good experience with in this area of the country.

When I went into the woods today, I found an edible surprise....

Kickstart70 — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:13:10 -0800

What is the best/easiest/clearest guide book to edible wild plants, especially or specific to Western Canada? I want to go into the woods prepared to come out with real food.

Scary waffles

umbú — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:22:19 -0800

How do you know when sourdough starter goes bad? This morning ms. umbú and I had some sourdough waffles using our jar of her family's 40-year old sourdough starter. They were great: airy and tangy, as they should be. If you've never had sourdough waffles or pancakes, you should. They're amazing.

The thing is, we almost didn't make them because it has been a while since we used the mason jar of starter, and sitting in the back of the fridge it has gotten pretty scary looking. There was some black liquid settling on top, for example, more dramatically than usual.

Now I know the starter is supposed to be alive and changing. However, is there a certain point where it passes a point of no return and you should no longer eat it? If so, how do you know when it has passed that point?

"I must get the recipe for your lavender."

Hwaet — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:25:29 -0800

Where can one buy edible flowers from a reputable vendor in New York? I know we can probably eat florist-bought pansies and the like without much trouble, but I'd prefer a place that sells pesticide- and manure-free flowers for the purpose of eating. I can settle for an organic florist, I suppose, but it would be neat to get some from a vendor who's sold consumable flowers before.

Edible Christmas Tree instructions for the city mouse?

bunnycup — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 21:11:49 -0800

After 10 years of living in NYC, I've fled to a wooded acre in rural New Jersey. I'm a total scrooge who would never be caught dead with a Christmas tree, but I want to edibly decorate an outdoor (living) pine tree to attract animals like deer, birds, squirrels and whoever else. I'm thinking along the lines of stringing popcorn, carrots, dried corn for the deer, peanut butter and birdseed on pinecones for the birds, maybe some apple slices, etc. The problem is, my years in the city have left me devoid of any common sense on how to proceed. I don't care much whether the tree is pretty or not - I'm more interested in having animals in my backyard than flashing lights that sing "Jingle Bell Rocks". So, with so many animal-caring and conscious, crafty folks here, I thought I'd probe the hive mind for suggestions. Please help me out with tips, tricks, instructions, suggestions to create a SAFE enjoyable edible outdoor tree to get all the animals I possibly can. Assume I know less than a 5th grader who's been to a summer camp craft class - what do I use to string the popcorn so it doesn't end up fatally snagged in a duck's digestive tract? Is there anything tempting to use that's actually dangerous for the type of animals likely to live in the area (ducks, deer, birds, squirrels, beavers, raccoons, etc.)? Are there any pressing safety concerns for the animals to make me wary - I don't want to HURT them of course. As a result of my location, I won't be luring animals to a busy road where they are likely to get hit, or to an area where neighbors would consider them pestilential.

Most appreciated would be fairly quick and easy instructions so I could do this a few times even on a busy schedule - I'd love to be able to refurbish the tree every weekend for the next month or so.

Nutritious and Delicious??

mu~ha~ha~ha~har — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:54:59 -0800

Fake and edible indoor plants? For my Kittys... Does anyone even make such a thing? If not, what could I make it out of?? Or if anyone knows of any tough non-toxic indoor plants that will cope with feasting, possibly air con and shitty light but definitely the feasting! What would you recommend? (A roster/tag team basis would be perfectly understandable and acceptable...)

should i eat this?

stupidsexyFlanders — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:19:36 -0800

Should I eat this? I left a sandwich in my car this morning, unfortunately on the back deck (sedan). Contents of sandwich: wheat bread, yellow mustard, fat free mayo, precooked breaded chicken patty, american cheese. Wrapped in white paper towel inside clear plastic bag. Outside conditions: sunny, 72 deg. windows rolled up. As of now it has been out there almost three hours. Is it safe to eat, or should I make other lunch plans?

Does fish oil last like any other oil?

gttommy — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:08:14 -0800

Does fish oil last like any other oil? I've got a jar of deep sea salmon fish oil complex soft gels which I've neglected in my dorm for 2 weeks under the summer heat (room 30-38 degrees celsius). I've only recently recovered from self-applied food poisoning and the fish oil is a suspect.

So my question is, does fish oil last under these temperatures over long periods of time? Does it last just like any other oil, like sesame oil? If not, how can I tell whether it has become inedible?

Additional info: looks and smells the same, produced in September last year, label suggests it should last 3 years.

Hard-boiled Egg Filter: Eat 'em or Toss 'em

deborah — Sat, 12 May 2007 18:19:31 -0800

I hard-boiled a dozen eggs this morning. They've been sitting in the same water they boiled in which is now at room temperature (about 20C/70F) for approximately six to eight hours. Are they still good? Or should I just throw them away? I am all for throwing them away if they're iffy, but would rather not if it's not necessary (I hate wasting food).

Personal Lubricant

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Nov 2004 17:17:15 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for a personal lubricant that can safely be ingested, and most importantly, is tasteless and *truly* has no aftertaste. I've wasted all my money...